Ordinary Encounters
by viiisenya
Summary: Ten oneshots based off of AUs I found on tumblr that reminded me of Raleigh and Mako. will be updated irregularly. rated for language and suggestive themes. humor/romance/friendship. other characters may or may not appear.
1. cereal

**AN: **im pacrim trash and im super passionate about mako and raleigh's relationship. i literally pulled this oneshot out of my ass so if it sucks, thats prolly why. but anyways, hope yall enjoy.

_AU: "we're both at the grocery store at 3 am and you offered to arm wrestle me for the last box of cereal"_

* * *

It's almost three in the morning on a Tuesday night and there were only five cars parked outside the 24-hour Target. Six now counting the beat up Audi that pulled into the parking lot. It was an awfully old car; the type that made protests upon starting up, and sometimes refused to provide heat when it was fifteen below. But, Raleigh cherished the damn thing with all his heart.

He put his car into park and headed towards the automatic gates of retail heaven. He could have gone to the local grocery store three blocks from his apartment, but Raleigh enjoyed the night drive. He also enjoyed going to Target and the lack of traffic, but that was beside the point.

Navigating his way through the red and white aisles, Raleigh hummed to himself his mother's favorite song. It was a bad habit that often resulted in his sister getting angry with him, but it was something automatic that he did now. Humming the songs didn't make him sad anymore either.

Raleigh wasn't sure what he wanted to eat this late, but knew for a fact that he wasn't going to settle for anything that contained or was related to pasta. He'd spent the last month and a half eating pasta and the mere thought of it was enough to make him feel like he was going to vomit.

He skimmed the signs as he passed the aisles until _CEREAL _caught his attention. The prospect of Cocoa Puffs this late was absolutely divine. He even started to salivate a little. Raleigh walked straight into the aisle, grinning like an idiot, and made a beeline for where Cocoa Puffs would usually be. There was one box left. It was almost as if God had written for him to have Cocoa Puffs on this particular night.

Raleigh leaned forward to grab the box, but just as he did, another hand latched onto it as well. Time stopped. He turned his head to see who wanted the cereal as much as he did and the sight of her was almost enough for him to let go of the box. He was in absolute awe.

He smiled and she returned it generously. Neither of them moved, though.

The honorable thing to do in that moment would have been to let go of the box and let the beautiful girl abscond in the night with the last box of Cocoa Puffs. But Raleigh _really _wanted the Cocoa Puffs.

They stood there, connected by the orange box filled with three dollars and nineteen cents worth of artificial chocolate bliss, staring at each other. He waited for her to let go, and she waited for him to let go, but neither of them did. It was almost as if an eternity had passed, but it really was only two minutes.

"I'll arm wrestle you for it," Raleigh said finally. The words left his mouth with little thought and he felt as though he should have regretted them, but he didn't. The mysterious girl smiled, almost triumphantly even though she didn't win anything.

"Okay," she agreed, letting go of the box. She had trusted him enough not to run off with it in that moment, and in conjunction with the sound of her voice made it difficult for him to stifle a grin.

…

They were flat on the ground with their bellies pressed against the seemingly clean floor. Raleigh could see the dirt that resided on top of the tiles, though. They faced each other and had their respective arms ready in position. She placed her small hand into his and they looked at each other.

Raleigh easily had sixty pounds of muscle on her, as well as half a foot (if that really had anything to do with an arm wrestle) which made him more than confident that he'd be the victor walking away tonight. His brother would have laughed at the fact that he was getting competitive over a box of cereal.

"One, two, three…" the both of them counted down simultaneously and it began.

He had the upper hand, literally, for the first few seconds. The back of her hand threatened to touch the white tiles and Raleigh anticipated seeing eyes that spelled defeat, but he was greeted with determination instead.

That was when it became harder to push her arm closer to the ground. She held her own very well and a burn was developing in Raleigh's arm. It wasn't until he couldn't take it anymore that she slapped the back of his hand onto the grimy floor.  
_  
Holy shit._

She was up and dusting herself off while he still laid there. Raleigh looked up at her and felt the urge to worship her. That was going to be the last time he underestimated anybody.

She began walking away after grabbing the box and her bag from the floor. Raleigh made a scramble to get up and took a few steps forward.

"Wait! Can I get your number?" He asked breathlessly. She turned around and flashed a brilliant smile.  
_  
Holy shit.  
_  
"Only if you can beat me in an arm wrestle."


	2. cat

**AN: **dorky!rals meeting mako for the first time and being completely in awe of her magnificence is my favorite rals, and thankfully is also canon!rals. this is kind of borderline ooc but im not too worried. and on the bright side, it includes alive!yancy and the ever so lovely jazmine becket. i do just want to say now that all these AUs ive picked are most likely meant for feature-length fics, but im only going as far as mako and rals meeting and being on the cusp of developing a relationship because one) im lazy and two) i think its better that way. i also change these AUs up a bit just to satisfy my own needs. lastly, my mother thinks coyote tango would be the most brilliant name for a cafe or deli. enjoy.

_AU: "my cat keeps breaking into your apartment and eating all of your plants so i asked you out to dinner to apologize"_

* * *

"Hey kid!" His brother Yancy yelled from the living room. Raleigh ignored him and continued focusing his energy on the TV. There was a series of loud noises that came from downstairs. He turned up the volume.

"Where the fuck is Jim?" He heard Yancy bellow. Jim was the cat.

"The hell if I should know!" Raleigh yelled back.

"God—_fuck. _He's eating the neighbor's plants again!" Raleigh's head snapped to his partially closed bedroom door. It was a brief moment before he was scrambling down the stairs.

"What?" He barked, zipping past Yancy to the screen door. And there he was, barely a speck of orange over the wooden fence, in the neighbor's yard. Eating her gardenias. _Again.  
_  
Raleigh nearly ripped the screen door out of the wall as he burst into the hazy Tuesday sunlight. His running start gave him enough force to hop the fence (something he knew he shouldn't have been doing, but was doing anyways).

Jim must have sensed his presence, because the demon cat from hell hissed and clawed some more at the already damaged plants. Raleigh had to restrain himself from hissing back. He made a mental note, instead, reminding himself to ask his sister Jazmine why exactly was getting a cat ever a good idea.

He and Jim stared at each other, murder in the feline's eyes. Raleigh lunged and tried grabbing him, but the cat was too quick even for him. Jim let out a triumphant meow and scampered away. Raleigh turned around and saw Yancy standing in the yard, watching the whole scene play out. Raleigh held his arms out and glowered at him.

"Wanna make yourself useful, old man?" Raleigh asked. Yancy laughed and shook his head.

"You look like you got it all under control, kid," his brother said, folding his arms across his chest. Between the two, Jim had hated Raleigh the least. Whenever Jaz was out of the house, it was Rals' job to make sure Jim didn't do anything shitty. Much to his dismay.

Raleigh and Jim stared each other down with two feet between them, both tiptoeing in a circular motion. Raleigh imagined it was silent but the rustling of the leaves proved otherwise. He must have looked like an idiot.

Tricking Jim into continuing to the right, Raleigh swept in from the left like a billowing wave and gathered the cat into his arms. Jim's protests were vicious though futile as he clawed at Raleigh's thick sweater. He held Jim out to Yancy as he approached the gate, but the older Becket did nothing in response.

"Take him," Raleigh urged, swinging Jim's dangling legs in a gentle motion.

"He's gonna bite me," Yancy whined, but took the cat anyways. Jim gave a catty glare to the both of them but had no further objections. The Becket Brothers were victorious once again.

The two of them stepped into the house and Yancy released Jim from his grasp to roam the house as Raleigh closed the screen door behind them. The orange cat mewed and sauntered toward the front door where Jaz stood, kicking off her shoes.

"What's up, dumb and dumber?" She greeted. Classic Becket banter. Jaz bent down and scooped Jim into her arms, rubbing him on top of the head.

"Jim was wreaking havoc, as per usual," Raleigh stated in an accusing tone. Jaz raised an eyebrow at her brother. "He was eating the neighbor's plants again. It's like the fifth time this month."

"Well, shit," Jaz said, padding towards them. "What's the damage?"

Raleigh was relieved his sister have given up on defending Jim. "He practically ate her entire garden."

"That sounds like a poor exaggeration, Rals," Jaz replied, holding Jim over her shoulder like a baby.

"You can go check yourself," Yancy shot back. She shook her head and placed Jim onto the ground. His little paws made soft noises as he walked away from them.

"Somebody's gotta go apologize," she said, crossing her arms. She looked between her brothers until it was both her and Yancy staring at Raleigh. It took him a moment to register.

"Me? Why me?" He asked.

"You got a crush on the girl," Yancy said. It was as if the Becket siblings were travelling back in time fifteen years.

"I do _not_," Raleigh protested, almost childishly. But he did. Oh, god, he did. He remembered the first day she moved into the vacant house beside theirs, about five months ago. He was in absolute awe upon seeing her. They had only talked once – the brief introductions and 'welcome to the neighborhood' kind of small talk. After that, though, he hadn't been sure of how to approach her (and secretly feared Yancy would steal her away like he always did, though that was beside the point).

"Come on, Rals," Jaz groaned, "just ask her out to dinner or something, as an apology for Jim wrecking her garden again."

Raleigh grimaced to mask the fact that he actually enjoyed that idea. It gave him a good enough reason to actually talk to her again.

"Can't believe Jim's gonna be your wingman, kid," Yancy chuckled. Raleigh's face heated up.

"Didn't say I was gonna do it," he muttered, refusing to give them that satisfaction. Yancy grinned at his brother and glanced at Jaz who mirrored his grin.

"Oh but you're gonna."

…

An hour later, Raleigh was on Mako's porch. He held a hand out, ready to ring the doorbell, but retracted it to fish a piece of candy out of his pocket. He popped the red ball of pure sugar into his mouth and stuffed the wrapper into his back pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, Raleigh spotted Yancy and Jaz standing in the window. They were laughing.

He huffed and rang the doorbell before his conscious convinced him to turn around and run. It was complete silence for a moment before the sound of heavy footfalls echoed in the house. The huge oak door clicked and swung open.

Mako Mori stood half a foot shorter than he did, and she seemed tiny in the enormous doorway. Despite her size though, she looked like the type of girl that could easily beat the shit out of him. Raleigh didn't hesitate to believe that. She greeted him with a raised eyebrow rather than a smile though it didn't seem to be out of annoyance. If anything, it made her all the more captivating.

"Can I help you?" She asked, breaking the silence. He must have looked so stupid staring at her.

"I just wanted to come over and apologize. You know, for our cat wrecking your garden again," he began. He bit down on the hard candy and it left little flecks on his tongue.

"Oh," she replied, almost as if she didn't know what he was referring to. "Thank you, but it is nothing."

"No, I really feel like I should make it up to you. Can I take you out to dinner?" _God_. His seemed cool and collected, but his heart was racing. What if she could hear his heart pounding in his chest? Did he sound too forward? Was he being creepy? He hoped he wasn't blushing; he would have looked so dumb if he was. "Anything you want, really."

A smile appeared on her lips, and Raleigh thought it was a mocking one.

"Okay," she said. Raleigh couldn't hold back his grin. "Give me half an hour to get ready."

…

The both of them settled for the neighborhood pizzeria, four blocks from their houses. It was about six-thirty and the sun still sat high above the horizon, pouring generous amounts of sunshine onto the sidewalks.

They had lapsed into a silence, but it was a comfortable one. Surprisingly. It almost felt natural, as if they'd shared these silences before. It didn't stop him from sneaking glances at her from time to time though.

Rounding a corner, the quaint pizza joint known as Coyote Tango came into view. It was famous for its impeccable service as well as its traditional Neapolitan pizza. They met a chipper hostess at a classic podium just at the front door and chose to sit outside.

Raleigh beat Mako to the table and pulled her chair out for her. A ray of sunshine fell onto his back and he pretended, as he often did, it was his mother smiling down on him. He squinted up at the blinding sky hoping that she could hear him and asked her to wish him luck. He was going to need it with a girl like Mako.

He had his hands twiddling with the pieces of candy stashed away in his pockets, quietly watching Mako as she flipped through the menu. She glanced up and met his stare.

"You're not going to look through the menu?" She asked. He liked the sound of her voice.

"I'll be fine with whatever you want," he told her. Despite half of her face being hidden behind the menu, her smile reached her eyes and that gave him some comfort. It was reassuring to know he hadn't messed anything up yet.

After a few more minutes of looking at the menu, Mako had decided on the house special just as their server came to pick up their order.

"Would you two like anything else? Some appetizers while you wait? Some wine, maybe?" Their server suggested, holding the notepad in his hand carefully. Raleigh glanced at Mako and tilted his head. He raised an eyebrow at her as a silent way of asking if she wanted wine. He wasn't sure where the sudden instinct came from, or if she would even notice his gesture. But she did, naturally.

"I'm okay. I will just have a glass of iced tea," she said to their server, though her gaze was fixed on Raleigh. That made him nervous. The server scribbled it down onto his notepad.

"And you, sir?"

"A beer, please," he told him, glancing up. He would be needing it to loosen up a bit. Their server gave a curt smile, ran his pen across the pad and was off. Raleigh watched the man scurry off until his figure was completely devoured by the building's interior. He felt her eyes on him.

"Do you like it around here?" Raleigh asked. He figured it was still appropriate to ask that.

"I do. I like how quiet the neighborhood is," she answered. Raleigh nodded in agreement. Their server returned with their drinks, placing Mako's down first and then his beer. They both reached for their glasses and took a sip.

"How long have you lived here?" Mako asked. Raleigh leaned back into his chair, trying both to get comfortable and look casual. The woody taste of the beer sat on his tongue.

"Almost ten years, I think," he said. The three Becket kids had moved from their hometown within a year after their mother's death (and their father abandoning them). Yancy was already nineteen at the time and he took charge of selling most of their parents' belongings. They kept only a few things of their mother's. Yancy also ended up successfully selling their home as well, while Raleigh took up petty jobs to scrape together some more money. It was all for Jaz, Yancy told him every night whenever Raleigh came home complaining. But that wasn't something Mako needed to know. Not now, at least.

"And you live with your siblings?" She continued. Raleigh nodded.

"My brother and my sister, yeah," he said. "They're kind of a pain in the ass, but they're not too bad," he told her. "You have any siblings?"

Mako shook her head and looked off to the side. Raleigh began to worry that he'd brought up a sour topic for her, but she returned her attention to him.  
"I do not," she said, letting out a sigh. That made him worry a bit more.

"You live alone then?" He asked. The house she lived in was big and he was sure there had to be at least another person occupying the space with her. A sudden panic rose up in the pit of his belly—what if she had a boyfriend? Sure, she agreed to have dinner with him, but that could have been out of courtesy.

"At the moment, I do," she replied. "My father has been working overseas." Relief quelled the smoldering worry that had started up in his body and he nodded.

"Overseas, huh? What does he do?"

"He is currently working with the United Nations. It is some kind of military business," Mako said. Oh jeez. He could already hear Yancy hooting '_military dad!' _in the back of his head.

"Must get pretty lonely then," Raleigh said. Did that make him sound like a creep? Mako cracked a smile.

"Not really. I am used to it," she told him matter-of-fact. Raleigh was in no place to judge a person's lifestyle, especially if they appreciated being alone, but he couldn't help being surprised at her response. Too often the phrase 'I'm used to it' was said with some sort of misery, but not in the way Mako said it. That was admirable.

Before Raleigh could say anything else, their server appeared with their food. Raleigh was suddenly a lot hungrier than he remembered. He held himself back though to let Mako grab whatever she wanted first. When she didn't move, the both of them staring down at the pizza, it occurred to him that she was waiting for him to eat first too. They both glanced up.

"Go ahead," he prodded. Mako hesitated but pulled apart a piece and placed it onto her plate. It wasn't until after she took a bite that Raleigh reached for his own. That silence from earlier blanketed them again, their soft chewing filling the gaps. He tried thinking of something clever to say but nothing came. A conflict of wanting to say something and reveling in their silence feuded within him. He settled for the latter, in the end.

They finished the pizza with ease, both consuming four slices. Raleigh wiped his mouth with his napkin and leaned back into his chair, letting out a deep breath.

"So what do you do?" He asked, keen on continuing their conversation. Mako pushed her plate full of scraps forward a bit and folded her napkin over it.

"I study," Mako answered in a plain tone. He wasn't surprised; she seemed like the type of person who would devote a lot of their time to studying.

"You studying to take over your dad's position?" He joked. Raleigh lifted his lukewarm glass of beer and took a deep sip while he waited for her response.

"Yes, actually." Raleigh choked, fully unprepared. There wasn't even anything to be startled about and his reaction made him look like an ass. He blamed his nerves. But Mako wasn't offended. For the first time that night, she laughed. It was a light, breathy kind of laugh that happened out of control; it was unlike the Mako he'd seen so far, who was restrained and poised. He could've listened to that girl laugh forever.

"Are you surprised?" She asked as he wiped his mouth again. Her laugh still sat on her lips in the form of an inviting smile.

"No, god—not at all. I just didn't know I was able to read minds," he said. Finally, something within the vicinity of 'witty'. Although it didn't incite anymore laughter, Mako's smile widened and it was enough for Raleigh.

They shared another stare and it felt right. Everything felt right in that moment in the presence of Mako. He couldn't name it, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to, but whatever it was, he was hoping she felt it too.

"Is everything okay?" Their server said all of a sudden, snapping both of them out of the gaze. Raleigh looked up at the tall blond male and nodded, glancing at Mako to confirm that everything was okay.

"Would you two like any dessert?" He offered.

"No, that is okay," Mako answered. Raleigh was grateful she didn't want anything else to eat; he didn't think he could eat anymore.

"Great. I'll come right back with your check then," he said, gathering up their plates in both hands. Raleigh, in truth, was amazed that everything was going well. They might have not had very much conversation, but he didn't think that was a big deal. Mako didn't look like much of a talker to begin with. He hoped this was enough for her to want to see him again.

Their server reappeared yet again with their bill in one hand, placed it onto the table and left to fill up glasses of water for the surrounding customers. Raleigh grabbed the check and inspected it, not that he cared about how much the dinner was but more so to make sure he still had enough on his card to pay for it. He placed the flimsy paper onto the table and patted himself down for his wallet. There was nothing but the sugary globes in his pockets.

"_Shit_," he cursed, sitting up to check if it was hiding in his back pocket. It wasn't there. The panic hit him with full force. _God—_what was he going to do?

"Are you okay?" Mako asked him. He wondered if he had enough time to run back to the house and grab his wallet before their server came back. Probably not. And here he thought everything was going all right.

"I—I forgot my wallet," he confessed, dejected. "I'm so sorry." He watched as his chances with Mako disappeared into the sky. Raleigh averted his eyes, feeling unworthy all of a sudden.

Mako said nothing as she reached across the table for the check. He snuck a glance and she didn't seem to be angry, but what did he really know? He watched as she carefully pulled out her wallet and place her card on top of the check. It was almost painful to watch. What kind of apology dinner was this?

Neither of them spoke as their server came back to pick up the card. Raleigh stared at the ground, unable to say anything. Was there even anything a person could say to make up for something as shitty as this? No. Absolutely not.

When their server returned one last time to say thank you and good night, Mako gathered her belongings and stood up. Raleigh did the same but kept his eyes fixed on the concrete. As they began walking away, he noticed she even left a ten dollar tip. Was that supposed to mean something? Either way, it left him feeling even worse.

The walk back to their houses was silent and awkward on Raleigh's end. He tried stringing words together in his mind that would be able to convey how horrible he felt, but nothing clicked. Yancy was going to laugh his ass off when he heard about this.

As their homes came into view, Raleigh followed Mako until she stopped at the foot of her steps and turned to face him. They were a foot apart. Raleigh stood there with his hands in his pockets and pressed his cheek against his raised shoulder, afraid to look at her.

"Look, Mako," he began. "I'm real sorry about tonight. I'll pay you back or something and I'll make sure the cat doesn't get into your yard anymore," he told her. He looked up and caught her eye to show his sincerity.

"It's okay," Mako said with the same amount of sincerity. He was about to protest before she said, "you can make it up to me next time." His heart skipped.

"Next time?" He breathed. Did he hear her right? She smiled at him, a full smile that showcased her brilliant white teeth.

"Good night, Raleigh."

He watched her, dumbfounded, as she climbed the steps and unlocked her front door. Just as the door was closing behind her, she gave him another smile as if to reassure him that she was serious.

Raleigh couldn't believe it.

He made a mental note to thank Jim later.


	3. ocean

AN: hi. This is a long overdue update. I'm currently on spring break and felt inspired to write for this again. I still firmly believe in Raleigh being head over heels in love with Mako the first time he met her, but let's switch it up a little. This is also more of a drabble exploring Raleigh's relationship with his mother and siblings, and the way they coped with her death. Enjoy.

_AU:" the ocean is in love with you, and the tides are its attempt to get closer to you"_

* * *

'_Dom, stop telling the kid that. He might grow up to believe it.'_ Raleigh could hear his father's voice amidst the crashing of the tides, a deep rumble that sounded half like a joke and reminded him of an earthquake when he was a small child. His mother would always laugh at his father and clutch him a little closer to her chest.

'_Raleigh, sweet Raleigh. You believe what you want to believe, hm? You create your own life, little one. Believe what feels right,' _his mother would whisper into his hair, her voice thick with an accent and a cough that followed. He could smell the cigarettes on her breath and the vanilla in her hair right now. Raleigh grabbed a handful of sand beside him, clenched his fist until his knuckles were white and felt like they could split apart. He released, letting the sand trickle between his fingers.

The sound of the waves grew louder.

His mother often told him stories of how the ocean was a beautiful woman, with a voice like honey and eyes carved from reflections of the moon. It was a family tale passed down from generation to generation, an important story for a family built on the ports of Marseille. The Lapierre family were obsessed with the ocean, his mother would tell him, so much that a distant uncle firmly believed this fabled ocean woman would take him for a husband. He would be her king, and rule over the seas beside this ocean queen. Needless to say, he never returned.

'_Great-great uncle Florence was a crazy man, let me tell you, little one," _his mother would laugh and he would look up at her wide-eyed with a child's grade of curiosity.

'_Did he not meet the ocean lady, _maman?' He would ask, his voice so little against the size of his imagination. This was still when he spoke some French. Dominique smoothed his blonde curls against his forehead and looked out towards the ocean. A pile of cigarette butts was nestled beside them with an empty pack and a worn lighter.

'_No, my sweet. He met another lady, one not so nice as the ocean lady. The ocean lady is very particular, and great-great uncle Florence was not good enough for her,'_ she would tell him. These were the bits of the story Raleigh cherished the most as a child. Yancy and Jazmine were fast asleep beside their father half a mile away from them, their father having fallen asleep himself hours before. He was allowed to know these parts of the story with no protest from his father and relished in the wonders that haunted his mother's family for generations. Twilight struck and the ocean was calm, small waves crashing gently against the sand.

'_But_, maman,_ great-great uncle Florence had a ship and a castle. He sounded like a king!'_ Little Raleigh would shout with such enthusiasm. He smiled and shook his head as he recalled saying those words to his mother. She always responded with a laugh, squeezing him with another hug.

The sound of the waves grew even louder.

Raleigh didn't smoke, but he kept his mother's lighter in a pocket over his chest. Yancy kept the last pack of cigarettes she touched in his back pocket, and Jazmine ties her hair up with their mother's favorite scarf. Those were the last things the Becket kids kept of their mother, after selling everything else. Those three things, and the story of the ocean woman. But, that was something Raleigh kept for himself. That was something only him and his mother shared.

Since the death of their mother, the Becket kids went their separate ways. They called each other infrequently and only once in the past few years had Raleigh ran into either of them exploring a faraway city. They always meet once a year, though, without fail. They communicated the meeting the first few years, but after that, it became a habit. Natural, almost. Yancy would always be the first one there with a bouquet of her favorite flowers laid across the grave. And then Raleigh would climb the hill with a bottle of wine and three glasses. Jazmine arrived last, just as she did in order of birth, empty-handed but with a voice that reminded Raleigh of Sunday church. She'd sing their mother's favorite song in broken French, and each of them would take a sip of the wine from their respective glasses before pouring the bottle out over the grave. Yancy would always throw the bottle as hard as he could against the evergreen and leave as soon as the bottle shattered. Jazmine always stayed a little longer, sometimes pressing her head against Raleigh's shoulder, but he would be the last to leave. He was always the last to leave.

Raleigh wondered frequently, to himself and never out loud, why she was buried there on a hill. It was an ugly, drab place in the middle of Anchorage miles away from any other grave, and the sea for that matter. His biggest regret was never arguing with his father of where she should have been buried. But, that was the year Raleigh lost his voice due to grief and whatever his father wished would be willed.

The Lapierre's lust for the ocean ran deep and seemed to have skipped over Yancy, falling onto Raleigh instead. Perhaps it was his mother's tales of the ocean that made him love it so much, but no matter where he travelled, Raleigh always found himself near the sea. He spent many of his days on the beach, a bottle of scotch and a box of crackers for the birds the only things he carried out there with him. He'd play with his mother's lighter, hoping that maybe she would appear out of nowhere and tell him he was a silly boy for playing with fire. It never happened.

The sound of the waves snapped him out of his nostalgia, slapping against his bare feet and sent shivers up his spine. Raleigh focused on the darkness for a moment, the sun a sliver behind him.

When did he get this close to the water's edge?

This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. It was a few years back in Napoli where the tides crept closer to Raleigh as he drifted in and out of sleep. Or, that's what he thought. There were some days where it seemed like the water drew itself closer to him but he always attributed it to a drunken dream or sleepless hallucinations that haunted him.

The difference between then and now, however, was that he was stone cold sober and well-rested.

The water circled around him until even the sand beneath him was water. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Raleigh felt at peace for the first time in a long time. Maybe the water was so cold it felt warm to him, but it continued to rise around him. It engulfed his entire body until he was swallowed into the darkness and for a moment, he thought he would be meeting his mother wherever she was.

Instead, Raleigh opened his eyes and found himself under water, miles away from the shoreline. The kelp danced beside him to a song he didn't understand and he began wondering why he wasn't swaying in the waves like they were. His feet felt surprisingly heavy against the strengths of the waves, like they were anchored to the ground even though he was floating. Fish swam past him, eyes wide and mouths agape, as if they were surprised to see a human so far from land. His next thought was the fact that he breathed with ease and could see clearly. He remembered swimming as a child and how difficult it was to see underwater; how everything looked jagged and mimicked a kaleidoscope. This was different.

"Raleigh," a voice called to him. It fell on his ears smoothly, like honey melding into hot tea seamlessly. He spun around and was met by a sight so blinding he thought he was looking at the sun itself.

There stood a woman garbed in all white, like when the sea foams at the cliffs and resembles clouds. She had cropped black hair, black like the sea at night, that faded into the surreal shade of blue Raleigh thought only existed in movies. She smiled at him coyly and he felt his heart send waves through the ocean floor.

"Are you…" he began to ask before she nodded.

"The ocean lady? Yes, Raleigh, I am." She responded. Raleigh was both frightened and awestruck.

"How do you know?" He managed to ask. "I mean; how do you know my name?"

"You and your mother spoke loudly by the shore. And you visit so often, it would be hard to forget a person like you, Raleigh. Your stories are quite memorable." The woman told him, her eyes sparkling like sunlight hitting the water's reflection.

A blush crept up Raleigh's neck and flushed his face. Memories of the times he talked to the ocean like it was a real person flooded his mind. All the times he yelled his frustrations, whispered his deepest secrets, and asked his stupid questions to the ocean, as if the ocean would reply with some profound wisdom. It turned out the ocean just sat and listened.

"So, you're telling me you heard everything I've ever said… to you?" Raleigh asked, trying to process the situation. The ocean lady nodded.

"I hear everything everyone says," she told him, "you hear the waves of water, I hear the waves of voices."

"Why'd you pull me down here now, if you've been listening all these years?" Raleigh asked. The ocean lady turned her head away slightly, almost as if she was embarrassed.

"I've wanted to for many years now, Raleigh. I just never had the courage to do so until tonight," she said in a small voice. He was still confused.

"Okay, but why?" He pressed. "What makes me so special?"

At that question, the ocean lady refused to meet his eyes. Raleigh's heart began racing; he couldn't think of any explanation for why this was happening. He still could barely believe that this was actually happening, but he knew it was real.

"I'm in love with you, Raleigh," she finally confessed after an eternity passed. Raleigh stopped breathing in that moment. "I thought… maybe if I brought you down here, you could come to love me like I love you."

Everything hit Raleigh at once, like he ran straight into a brick wall. For some reason, without explanation, it felt right. The ocean's love for him, his love for the ocean. He knew he loved the ocean for a reason, and perhaps it was her all along, even though he didn't know it. The reciprocity fell into him, like the waves matching the beat of his heart.

"I can't say that I love _you_ because I don't know you, but I wouldn't be opposed to getting to know you. Since, you're always listening to everyone else, I'd like to listen to your story," Raleigh said softly after a long moment.

Her face lit up at his response and she beamed.

"We don't have to stay down here, if you don't want to." She told him, wading closer to him. Raleigh shook his head and allowed her to take his hand. She pulled him closer to the ocean floor until they were sitting beside each other.

"It's okay, I don't mind. I always liked being in the water anyways," he told her. She smiled and looked at him with wide, adoring eyes.

"Do you have a name or do I just call you the ocean lady?" Raleigh asked, playfully.

"I have many names, but the one I have grown the fondest of is Mako," she said to him, folding her hands across her lap.

"Mako," Raleigh repeated, letting the name roll into the waves.

"So, did you ever meet my great-great uncle Florence?"


	4. jewelry

AN: i have returned with yet another drabble. i hope nobody really minds that i don't write anything past them just developing a romantic attraction and stuff. but idk. can't guarantee when the next update will be but possibly a little bit quicker than the past ones since i'm on summer break until late august. anywho, enjoy.

_AU: "i'm a jeweler and you always come in to buy stuff so i assume you have a significant other and don't hit on you, but it turns out you're just really nice to your sister" _

* * *

Mako had been running the shop on her own for about a month now, after years of preparation. Her father would emerge from the backroom occasionally throughout the day and ask if she was okay or if she needed a break. "I'm fine, dad," she'd tell him every time.

Her father was weary of letting her run the shop, especially after hearing harsh judgement come from his family. She was going to take over the business in the future, much to their dismay. It would just be a matter of time until she learned all the techniques from her father that would enable her to take it all on. They were techniques and traditions her father learned from his father, and he from his father and so on.

The controversy at hand of course was that Mako was a girl; she wasn't fit to take on the family business in their name. Everything was supposed to fall to the first born male of Masao but he had no sons. It was a stupid thing to be angry over, Mako thought. Their family made jewelry; a commodity marketed mostly to women. Did it really matter that a daughter would be taking over the shop?

That particular day was a slow one. She'd seen five customers since they opened, two of which that actually purchased something, and was spending her time now counting their products. She counted them yesterday, and the day before that, but there was nothing better she could do with her time. There was about two hours before close and she needed to occupy herself. She contemplated asking her father if he needed help with whatever piece he was working on in the backroom but decided against it. He would have just told her to man the counter and wait until the weekend.

She was halfway through the engagement rings when the chime on the front door rattled against the glass. Mako began placing all the rings back into their respective spots and slid the box into the glass container. As the customer's footsteps approached the counter, it gave her a few seconds to smooth out her shirt and put her stray hairs back into place. The customer stopped before her and Mako was met with a chest rather than a face.

As she looked up to greet him with a smile, she was suddenly taken back. His eyes were glued to the rings she'd just put back, eyebrows knit together in deep thought. Mako didn't mean to stare but she couldn't hold back her surprise. He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked up at that moment, giving her a half smile. Mako smiled back.

"What kind of rings are these?" He asked, pointing down without breaking eye contact. His voice was gruff and composed, matching his appearance. Mako chewed on the inside of her lip.

"Engagement rings," she replied. Mako assessed him in that moment and wondered if he was going to propose to his girlfriend. Or boyfriend. He didn't look like he was going to, but Mako had been wrong before.

"Are they only for engagements?" Mako raised an eyebrow. "I mean, can I just get one as a gift and it isn't weird?"

She looked down at the rings her father handcrafted; they were simple in design but elegant in their own way. Her father called them engagement rings, but Mako never really thought of them that way. And if this guy wasn't looking for engagement rings, that meant he was only looking for a gift for his girlfriend (or boyfriend). That thought made Mako breathe a little easier.

"They could be given as gifts," she answered. The man gave a sigh of relief and bent down lower to get a better look at them. Mako stiffened as his head hung over the glass case; she could smell his shampoo from that distance.

Mako stood there like a statue, waiting for him to take his pick and occasionally tilted her head to get a better look at him; it was pointless at that angle. After a few minutes, he finally looked back up at her and pressed finger to the glass right above the ring he chose. Mako would have gotten annoyed that he left a fingerprint on the glass case she put so much effort into keeping spotless but she couldn't stay mad at a face like that.

"Can I look at that one?" _Which one? _"The one with the pearl in the middle?"

Mako looked down and spotted three rings with pearls in the middle. She looked up at him and then back at the case. She unlocked it and reached in, fingers hovering over the three until she plucked the one in the middle. It was a white gold ring with a mother of pearl wrapped up in a string of diamonds. In all honesty, it didn't look very much like an engagement ring to Mako, but she supposed different people had different tastes.

She looked up at him with the ring held between her fingers for confirmation that that was the one he wanted. They shared a look – a type of look that Mako wasn't used to with people – and he took it from her grasp with excellent care. His hands were warm, she noted. She'd met countless people who had cold hands.

His examination of the ring was very deliberate. He pulled it close to his face then pushed it away, as if to watch the gleam that'd appear when the light hit it in certain angles. The ring was made for a woman but that didn't stop him from placing it onto his forefinger; it barely reached his first knuckle.  
Mako watched him in silence, amused. She got a better look at his face now, and the flurry of emotions that drifted across his face. His messy blond hair and light stubble in addition to his thick sweater made it hard to figure out what his personality was. She ruled off rude and dismissive within the first few minutes, but the rest was a mystery. Mako shook her head, scattering those thoughts; she told herself she was going to stop the habit of overanalyzing people she was going to see once in her life.

"Yeah, okay, I'm gonna get this one," he decided after his long while of twisting and turning the ring. He handed back to Mako as she pulled a small velvet box from beneath the counter. _Six hundred fifty_, she thought to herself. The price came to her automatically after spending an eternity going through all the rings.

"You don't need it resized?" She asked him before ringing it up. Resizing the ring would have been an extra twenty-five dollars. He shook his head, reaching for his wallet.

"No, it's perfect," he told her. Mako heard that all the time, but this time she believed it coming from his mouth. It even made her smile a little.

"It will be six hundred and fifty dollars then," she told him as she punched the price into their ancient cash register. Most people were often surprised at their prices and stared at them dubiously as if Mako had been mistaken, but he didn't. He pulled out several bills without hesitation and counted them under his breath as he placed them onto the counter. Mako picked them up and counted again even though she trusted his math. It was part of her father's protocol.  
After she placed the money into the cash register, she moved to packaging the ring. The boxes they put their jewelry in were a deep blue that mimicked the ocean at night, and were knotted off with matching ribbon. In one swift motion, she pulled a piece of paper out from underneath the cash register and placed the box onto it. Mako then ripped the receipt away from the machine and grabbed a pen.

"We offer a one year warrantee in case anything happens," she told him in her professional voice, running the pen underneath the words printed on their certificate of authenticity. "If you are interested, print your name here for our archives and you will keep this half sheet," she continued.

He said nothing but took the pen and scrawled his name onto the designated line. Mako pretended not to read his name – _Raleigh Becket _– as she tore the sheet in half at the perforated line and handed it to him. She pushed the box and receipt toward him and he gathered them up in one hand.

"I hope they like it," Mako said to him. Raleigh glanced up at her and smiled as he stuffed the receipt into his pocket.

"Thanks. She's going to love it," he replied. So it was for a girlfriend. Mako suppressed her urge to sigh. Instead, she smiled wide.

"Well, thank you and I hope you come again," she said like she always did. Except this time she meant it. Raleigh smiled in response and headed out the door, the chime ringing in his absence. She let out a deep breath and fell forward to place her elbows onto the counter, hands sprawled across her face.

Mako spent the rest of the day wondering what he looked like beneath his sweater.

…

Exactly a month later, Raleigh appeared once again. She had been sweeping up the shop in between sales and nearly dropped her broom when he entered. Mako refrained from assuming that his relationship had ended and he was coming to return the ring. She was above that.

Raleigh greeted her with a smile and her day was suddenly brightened. She returned the smile and dragged the broom behind the counter. He stood across from her like he had a month ago. He was also empty-handed. Mako held her smile in an effort to mask her disappointment.

"You're back," she stated. "Did she like the ring?"

"Yeah, she did," Raleigh replied. "Came by to get her a necklace this time," he told her with a proud smile. Mako was envious of his girlfriend for a moment. She wondered what it must have felt like to have someone shower you with expensive gifts. It must've been nice.

Mako ignored that feeling, tucking it away so that it wouldn't interfere with the rest of her day. "Is there a particular necklace you are looking for?"

"Not really. I'd just like to look around until I find one I think she'll like," he said. That was fair. Mako nodded to acknowledge his statement and walked to the other side of the square counter glass case. Raleigh followed and they were standing across from each other, separated by two and a half feet of glass. She wondered if it would always be like this.

Raleigh's neck was bent so that he was able to stare at the necklaces they had on display. Mako debated on whether or not she wanted to tell him they had more in the back. She decided against it.

Instead, she took the moment to admire his gently tousled bedhead and peppermint aftershave. She couldn't decide if she liked him more with or without the stubble.

Did it bother her that she was fawning over a man she barely knew? Especially one that most definitely had a girlfriend? Mako had to be honest, it didn't sit very well with her conscious. But what did she had to lose?

"Can I take a look at that one? The one in the middle between those two with the sapphires?" Raleigh asked. Mako knew which one he was talking about immediately. It was one of her father's favorites despite the fact that nobody ever bothered to buy it. 'Good', her father would say, 'that means I can admire my work a little bit longer.'

She pulled the entire stand the necklace laid on out from the case and set it on the counter. It was a beautiful piece made of sterling silver with a single diamond hanging in the center. Surrounding the diamond were sapphires that came together to make a teardrop-like shape. It was simplistic in nature, just as their little jewelry shop.

"Is this the one?" Mako asked, but she already knew it was. She just wanted to hear him talk again.

"It is. May I?" He asked, reaching out to pick up the necklace's centerpiece. Mako nodded and he took it in between his calloused fingers. As it twinkled in the dim light, she was reminded of her father's fine craftsmanship. Maybe one day she could be able to create something as beautiful.

"Okay, I'll take it," Raleigh said, placing the necklace back onto its stand. Mako stared at him for a moment and wondered if he knew how much it would cost. He probably knew given the jewels but she was taken back by his certainty. He must have really loved his girlfriend.

"Okay," Mako replied as she began packaging the necklace. She placed it into one of the necklace boxes and wrapped it like she always did, though this time she took her time. She could feel his eyes watching her as she worked a little slower and she hoped that he wasn't getting annoyed like some other customers did when her father's aged fingers moved sluggishly. As she finished wrapping the package, she lifted her gaze to sneak a glance at him but was surprised to find him staring at her. She swallowed the gasp that nearly shot out of her mouth and could feel the blush that crept up from the nape of her neck to her cheeks. She hoped he couldn't notice.

"It'll—it'll be a thousand dollars even," she said, cursing herself for not being able to say it as smoothly as she planned in her head. Mako noticed that he was still looking at her intensely and she wondered if she had anything on her face. Maybe she was imagining him looking at her and he was looking at something past her.

Raleigh broke off his gaze and reached for his wallet, and in that brief moment, Mako thought she saw him smile. What could there be to smile about when he is about to spend this absurd amount of money on his girlfriend, she thought to herself bitterly. Mako mentally swatted those thoughts away, reminding herself that she shouldn't be envious of other women. Even if this woman was dating the man of Mako's literal dreams. She tried to stop thinking about the night she dreamt of this mysterious Raleigh Becket as she could feel that blush reappear.

"All right, here it is." Raleigh's voice interrupted her internal quarrel as he held the money out for her. Mako looked down at it. Most people left it on the counter, but he kept his hand outstretched as if waiting for her to take it. Almost as if he was waiting for her to touch his hand. Mako swallowed the lump in her throat.

She reached out slowly and grabbed the money, making sure that her fingers brushed against the inside of his palm as he pulled away. She diverted her eyes as she counted the money and placed it into the register. Taking in a deep breath, Mako printed the receipt and lifted the box that contained the necklace Raleigh was going to take back to his girlfriend.

Mako took another moment to steady herself mentally and handed the box to him and smiled as happily as she could.

"I hope she likes it," Mako said as he took the box. His eyes met hers and he smiled that dorky smile she adored.

"She's going to. Thank you," he said. She expected him to leave as he ended their conversation but he stood there for an extra moment, looking directly at her. Didn't anybody teach him that staring was rude? Mako didn't know whether to be enamored with his stare or frustrated. He had a girlfriend, he couldn't be doing these things to her.

"I'm glad. Thank you and I hope to see you again," Mako finally forced out. It was as if Raleigh forgot he was supposed to leave after saying thank you given the look on his face. He smiled at her again sheepishly and ruffled the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Yeah, I think I'll be back soon," he said and nodded once at her before leaving. As soon as the door was shut, Mako had to stop herself from groaning. She cursed this stupid and unfair infatuation with a taken man and hoped he was lying when he said he'd be back soon.

…

It turned out that Raleigh was not a liar which both relieved and infuriated Mako. Relieved because she was so happy that he returned to see her but infuriated because he brought the woman who was the recipient of all his lavish gifts and love. Mako tried her hardest to look happy as they entered her store.

Raleigh beamed at her as the girl Mako presumed to be his girlfriend looked around the store in awe. Mako didn't mean to dislike this woman, but upon seeing her, she felt a twinge of guilt in her heart. This woman was a head shorter than Raleigh though she shared the same sandy, blonde hair and pointed nose. Mako could see the necklace around her pale neck and the ring gleamed in the light on her pointer finger. Mako wrinkled her nose in confusion as the woman hopped over to the counter. Raleigh stood beside her with a calm smile spread across his lips.

"Are you the one who makes the jewelry?" The woman asked Mako with big eyes filled with adoration. Mako smiled modestly and shook her head.

"No, it is my father who crafts them," she responded and as if on cue, her father emerged from the backroom wiping his hands with a cloth. The woman squealed suddenly and made haste to greet Mako's father. Mako could hear her thank him for all of the wonderful things she was wearing and applauded his craftsmanship.

Mako couldn't listen anymore when she felt a sudden gaze fall upon her. She looked up at Raleigh who smiled at her. He leaned against the counter and looked at the woman who kept praising Mako's father and then back at her.

"My sister," Raleigh began as Mako's eyes went wide, "loves your guys' jewelry. After our mom died and our dad sold all of her jewelry, Jazmine was really upset so I decided to get stuff for her. I kept surprising her but she insisted on coming here to pick something out herself."

A wave of relief washed over her suddenly accompanied by a feeling of stupidity. Mako hadn't ever thought of a sister, but she was suddenly happy to know that a man like Raleigh was so invested in his sister's happiness. His sister even seemed like a wonderful person and Mako felt awful that she presumed anything.

"I'm very happy she liked all of it," Mako finally said with a sincere smile. Raleigh nodded and sighed. She noticed that his face was visibly growing more and more pink until he looked back at her.

"So for all the times I came here, I never caught your name," Raleigh said. Mako tried to suppress a smile but couldn't help herself. That seemed to make him smile more himself.

"Mako. My name is Mako," she responded. His smile widened even more and she caught herself chewing the inside of her lip.

"Well, Mako, I was wondering if you'd like to grab coffee with me sometime when you're not working?" He asked. Mako was stunned but couldn't complain. She grinned at him and nodded.

"That would be amazing," she said after a brief moment of silence. Raleigh released a breath he must have been holding and bit the bottom of his lip.

"Great. Great, that makes me happy. So do I call you or can I just stop by here and pick you up?" He asked half-jokingly, his face growing a light pink hue. Mako allowed a laugh and Raleigh looked amused at her reaction.

As she scrawled her number down on a piece of paper, she could feel that this was the beginning of something great. To the tune of Raleigh's sister continuous praise to her father, Mako wondered if he would buy her jewelry from her own store, or from somewhere else.


End file.
